If Tim Duncan has played his last game, he went out on an unexpected performance like Kobe Bryant’s.

Duncan only scored 19 points but expectations aren’t what they used to be at 40 after scoring 17 — total — in Games 1-5 against OKC.

If the Spurs’ 4-2 loss isn’t Duncan’s farewell — I’d guess it wasn’t — the torch is passing anyway from the Spurs and Lakers who won 10 of the last 16 titles (five apiece) to whoever comes next.

Right now that’s the defending champion Warriors and back-to-back MVP Steph Curry, the NBA’s first unanimous selection.

Forget the vote. Expecting press people to lead you to wisdom is like herding cats.

There would be three unanimous MVPs but for CNN’s Fred Hickman voting for Allen Iverson instead of Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 and the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn going for (snicker) Carmelo Anthony instead of LeBron James in 2013.

If Hickman loved being the holdout when an NBA official asked if he wanted to change his vote, the ensuing firestorm made him wish he had never heard AI’s name.

(The all-timer was the Sacramento guy who left Michael Jordan off the 10 slots on his ballot, because, as he told an NBA official he only saw MJ twice a year.)

One accomplishment stands out from all Curry’s others (averaging 30, 6.1 more than his career best; shooting 50 percent, 10 percent higher than his career best; leading a 73-win team.)

His 402 3s obliterated the old record — Steph’s 287 the season before.

Fivethirtyeight.com compared it to the home run record (Barry Bonds’ 73), noting it was as if Steph had hit 102 homers.

Not that Steph’s record may last forever.

At 28, in the most amazing thing of all, he’s still taking quantum leaps each season.

Few take this munchkin, who’s still occasionally refused service when he orders beer in restaurants, seriously at the MJ-Kobe-LeBron level.

“No offense to him,” said Turner’s Charles Barkley, “but he looks like a little baby. He has no arm muscles, no chest muscles.”

Curry has them, they’re just smaller than Charles is used to, making Steph’s feats the more incredible..

The night before his MVP was announced, Steph, who hadn’t played in 15 days, went for 40 off the bench in Portland — 17 in overtime — as if he doing his own coronation like Napoleon taking the crown from the Pope’s hands to set it atop his own head.

“I figured he’d find his stroke and make a few shots,” said Coach Steve Kerr, “but, I mean, that was crazy.”

Said Barkley, out of words for once:

“That — that was right — that was on the same—ahh — that was crazy, man. That — that’s unbelievable.”

The Thunder, Spurs and Cavaliers are elite teams — but mere contenders until they show they can beat the Warriors, who were 8-1 against them this season.

Although everyone does, you can’t write off OKC with two superstars who can score against defenses stacked against them.

Most of what OKC doesn’t do can be summed up in two words — “Russell Westbrook.”

On the other hand, aside from shooting (37.6% in the series) and ball handling (4.5 turnovers per game), Westbrook was like a 6-3 MJ, averaging 25 points, 10 assists and 6.5 rebounds in the series.

The Spurs move the ball better — and must because they don’t have the scorers who put up 30 shots if that’s what it takes.

LaMarcus Aldridge got 38-41 in Games 1-2 but OKC got him under control, holding him to 24-20-20-18 after that.

Kawhi Leonard shot 49 percent in the series but averaged only 23.2 for a team that needed more.

At 30, Aldridge gives the Spurs a future beyond Duncan but it wasn’t a seamless transition.

Duncan fell into relative disuse. The Spurs needed them to play well together but played Tim only 25 minutes a game — with 21 off — during the season.

The Spurs’ role players usually make the difference but Steven Adams, Enes Kanter and Serge Ibaka pounded the older, gentler Tim and LaMarcus.

Andre Roberson, who inherited Thabo Seofolosha’s role as defender/dead weight on offense, hit three 3s in Game 6 after going 0-7 on them in Games 1-5.

“If Roberson makes 3s, you’re in trouble,” said ESPN’s Jalen Rose during Game 6, “because he’s open for a reason.”

Yes, it’s because the Spurs wanted him to shoot.

Roberson had better keep making some. Here come the Warriors, the greatest show on Earth until someone proves different, which is what this postseason was always about.

Mark Heisler has written an NBA column since 1991 and was honored with the Naismith Hall of Fame’s Curt Gowdy Award in 2006. His column is published Sundays in Southern California News Group print editions. @markheisler on Twitter

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